Combining living on the road with a mainstream lifestyle

Finding Fun

We agreed to do something fun this weekend. However, we didn’t agree on what we would do. I, of course, wanted to go hiking. My husband, however, wanted to do something that wasn’t physical because his ankle has been bothering him. Given that I can’t argue with an injury, I contemplated what we could possibly do that would not be physically demanding, but that could include Tisen.

I suggested we take a drive to Atlanta to go to IKEA, something we had planned to do a month or so ago, but ended up not doing.

The pink streaks reach all the way to the view directly in front of us, which is almost due North

IKEA is one of those places that always sounds great to me. Lots of cool, clever, and affordable concepts to make a home more livable. And, we could use some shelving and lighting, etc. in our new place.

So, we loaded Tisen up in the car about mid-morning Saturday and off we went. The drive to Atlanta is not nearly as scenic as the drive to Nashville. There is no IKEA in Tennessee, however, so Atlanta was the closest choice. We made one stop for a fast-food lunch. It occurred to me that if we’re going to do a road trip, we should start planning our route based on enjoyable, healthier restaurants. It’s just no fun to eat fast food.

Once we made it to IKEA, by the time we found a parking spot and through the front door, I was ready for a nap. Have I mentioned I hate to shop? I don’t know why I always think going to IKEA is going to be fun. I’ve been to about 3 IKEAs now and I always have the same experience: I start out excited by the idea; then, as soon as we walk in the door, I feel exhausted and overwhelmed by choices. By the time we get about a quarter of the way through the first show room, I am practically shoving people out of the way because I can’t get through there fast enough.

The light eventually fades, leaving only a faint glow between the clouds and the ridge

The further we get into the store, the more my desire to leave increases. All I can think about it how much I don’t want to be there.

We did make it out of the store without inciting a riot. We immediately used my iPhone to find the closest park. We found a lovely little park in the middle of a nearby neighborhood and took Tisen for a loop around it. I felt human again afterwards.

Able to breathe again, we returned to the car and drove the nearly two hours back home.

We not only failed to do something fun, but we also ended up walking further than my husband intended.

On the plus side, we spent some quality time together in the car. And, later that day, there was a nice sunset partially viewable from our balcony.

I decided to do a short time lapse “video” of the clouds blowing through as the sun went down and the light faded away.